Flying taxi tests to begin this year claims Airbus boss

Talking at the DLD Digital Tech conference in Munich, Enders is said to have confirmed that a prototype single-passenger demonstrator – developed as a solution to the growing problem of traffic congestion in urban areas - will undergo flight tests within the next 12 months.

The system is thought to be based on the Vahana project, a flying taxi concept under development by the French manufacturer’s Silicon Valley outpost A3.

In a statement on the project’s website, A3 CEO Rodin Lyasoff explained that the vehicle will initially be self piloted, but will boast a number of autonomous features including an ability to automatically detect and avoid obstacles and other aircraft. An artist’s impression of the aircraft shows it to be similar in design to a quad-copter drone.

Lyasoff added that the system could operate in a similar way to car-sharing applications, with passengers using a smartphone to book a vehicle.

In a related initiative, engineers at Airbus Helicopters are working on the CityAirbus, a project aimed at developing an electrically operated autonomous aircraft able to carry multiple passengers.